Through Time And Space
by badly-knitted
Summary: The House of the Dead is destroyed, the Rift closed. What of Ianto? This is the story of Ianto's adventures after he finds himself somewhere he NEVER expected to be. Chapter 1 was written for the recent fan flashworks Amnesty Challenge; future chapters will most likely be inspired by future challenges, Very much a WiP, in that I have no idea what will happen next. Eventual Janto.
1. In The Dark

**Title:** Through Time And Space: Chapter 1 - In The Dark

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Ianto, OFC, mentions Jack

**Rating:** PG-13 for some swearing.

**Word Count:** 842

**Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

**Summary:** The House of the Dead is destroyed, the Rift closed. What of Ianto? Fix-it.

**Written For:** Challenge #93: Amnesty at fan_flashworks using Challenge #80: Shinies – "Nothing So Simple As Darkness, My Dear"

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters.

**A/N:** This is a fix-it set in the same universe as my drabble 'Living Paradox'. It's the start of the story. I have no idea where I will go from here; it may well be dependent on inspiration from future challenges.

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He'd done what had to be done; the House of the Dead was destroyed, the Rift closed for good. He should be dead. Again. That he'd been alive again, however briefly, had been unexpected but he'd been grateful, nonetheless. It had given him the opportunity to see Jack again, one last time. To kiss him and say goodbye properly, something he hadn't really been able to do lying on the floor of Thames House, unable to see and barely able to speak.

It had given Jack a chance too; to finally say the words Ianto had longed to hear from him. He'd already been pretty sure Jack loved him, but still, it was nice to hear him say it.

He didn't feel dead, which was odd. If he were dead, he shouldn't really be able to feel anything, should he? Well, he wasn't sure about that. It rather depended on whether there was anything after death. He wanted to believe there was, but everything Suzie had said that time she'd been brought back to life seemed to indicate that there really wasn't. Owen had agreed.

Cautiously, Ianto opened his eyes; not that it did any good. It was dark. Such a heavy, thick darkness it was like being smothered in black velvet. He shuddered and closed his eyes again. That idea was either deeply disturbing or seriously kinky, and he wasn't sure which bothered him more. On top of that, he could almost feel the darkness moving around him.

"Oh, it's nothing so simple as darkness, my dear," a sultry woman's voice whispered. There was no sound, the silence that surrounded him was deafening; the voice had been inside his head. "Darkness is merely the absence of light, but this place has never known light, or sound, touch, scent or taste. Technically, it isn't even a place. There has only ever been nothingness here, the absence of everything."

"What is this place that isn't a place then?" Ianto asked, the words taking form in his head, "and who are you?"

"It is nowhere; it doesn't exist in any dimension, it is the void in between, half a step to the left of everywhere. Things sometimes get lost and pass through, disturbing the nothing for an instant, but they never stay. There is no time here either and time, as much as space, is required for things to exist."

That jolted Ianto.

"I'm in the Rift!"

"No. The Rift was merely a doorway, one of many. You are in the nothing that exists between Rifts. The doorway you entered by no longer exists. Another doorway will pull you through instantly."

"Instantly? Then why hasn't it happened yet?"

"There is no time here. Everything happens in one single instant. You leave at the same moment you enter, but your brain must process everything in a linear fashion, as is its nature."

"Like dreaming. Dreams happen in a moment but seem to last a long time."

"Yes, like that, in a way."

"You never said who you are."

"I am… unsure. There was an explosion at the nexus of the Rift. I was close by and was caught. I was immature, but now I am grown. Such things can happen when time isn't a factor. You are within me, it would seem that I have grown around you; we are one, yet separate. I do not understand; perhaps I will when time becomes a factor once more."

Ianto tried to get his head around what he'd been told, though he understood little of it. He was jolted out of his musings when he hit a very solid floor. Hard. The fact that there _was_ a floor came as a surprise; the brilliant light that filled his vision came as more of a screaming agony along his optic nerves.

"Fuck! Too bright!" He shut his eyes tightly and buried his face in his arms, still blinded by afterimages.

"Apologies," the voice in his head murmured. "I will lower the lights to a more acceptable level."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Ianto muttered, voice somewhat muffled. "Still in my head then, are you?"

"Where else would I be? You are within me, as I am within you."

Opening his eyes again, more cautiously this time, Ianto risked peering carefully between his lashes. His vision was still a bit blurry from being dazzled, but the light was soothingly on the dim side of comfortable and he was able to make out his surroundings. He was lying on a waxed wooden floor in a large octagonal room with a high, vaulted ceiling. Comfortable sofas and chairs were arranged around the wall, with a variety of low tables arrayed in front of them. The air smelled of excellent coffee.

In the middle of the room stood a large and complicated looking bank of machinery, full of levers, buttons, dials, computer screens and flashing lights, along with a number of less identifiable attachments and doohickeys. He stared, dimly aware that his mouth was hanging open.

"Bloody hell! I'm in a TARDIS!"

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TBC

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**A/N2:** The new prompt at fan_flashworks is proving suitably inspirational for continuing this series, so expect Chapter 2 in a couple of weeks. I hope. This fic is going to take a while to write as I have no idea what's going to happen beyond the next chapter. Normally I wouldn't post until the fic is completed, but as I'm relying on challenge prompts to inspire me, this one will have to be treated differently. It WILL get finished, it'll just take a while.


	2. Explorations Part 1

**Title:** Through Time And Space: Chapter 2 – Explorations Part 1

**Fandom:** Torchwood

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Ianto, OFC, mentions Jack

**Rating:** PG-13 for some swearing.

**Word Count:** 2274

**Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

**Summary:** Ianto takes stock of his situation, exploring his mental and physical condition, before setting out on the first stage of a thorough exploration of his new home.

**Written For:** Challenge #95: Exploration at fan_flashworks.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters.

**A/N:** This is the first of two chapters written for this challenge, because it was getting way too long to post in one piece and there was a natural break that made dividing it into two parts simple.

**A/N2:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favourited this fic, your support means a lot! I hope Chapter 2 lives up to expectations!

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"Bloody hell! I'm in a TARDIS!" Ianto's words echoed loudly around the control room. He winced; he hadn't realised he'd shouted. He felt he was justified though. It _was_ rather an unexpected development; he had every right to be a bit startled. The voice in his head must be the TARDIS itself. _Her_ self, he corrected himself. The voice was definitely female. Were all TARDISes female? Would it be rude to ask? Would she even know?

"TARDIS?" the voice in his head murmured. "Yes, I believe you are correct."

"Which begs the question; whose TARDIS are you? Is there a Time Lord around somewhere? I wouldn't want to be accused of trespassing." Ianto sat up carefully. For someone who'd recently been blown up, he felt a lot better than he probably should, but it might be a good idea to check that he didn't have any serious injuries before he tried anything too advanced, such as standing up. Shock could affect people in strange ways.

"I have been monitoring your life-signs; you are in excellent health and quite undamaged."

"I got blown up. I should be dead. I was holding the bomb and it was a pretty big explosion." He looked quickly at his hands, both surprised and relieved to note they were still attached. Just to reassure himself, he examined the rest of his body, checking for pain or any other signs of injury and finding none.

"You were dead, briefly. Now you are not. I am glad; I did not wish you to be dead. I would have been alone."

"Well, that's good. I didn't want to be dead either. I much prefer being alive." Ianto felt more than a little dazed at the news. He seemed to be dying rather a lot lately. "Um, this is probably a stupid question, but… If I was dead, then how am I not dead now? Did you fix me?"

"No, I was not responsible, I am unsure if I have that kind of power. Your whole being is saturated in vortex energy. It appears to have soaked into every cell of your body, becoming a part of you; I believe it was that which restored you to life. Are there others of your kind who carry the vortex within them in this way? I seem to recall another like you, when I was very small. Or maybe I am mistaken."

"I have vortex energy in me? How did that happen? _When_ did that happen?"

"Perhaps it is a side effect of the explosion that closed the Rift you came through."

Ianto wondered if he should lie down again until the shock passed, then realised he already was. He wasn't quite sure when that had happened either. "Am I like Jack now? Stupid question, forget I said that. You don't know who Jack is. Am I…?" He couldn't say the word, unsure of whether he wanted the answer to be 'Yes' or 'No'.

"Immortal?"

Ianto nodded. He seemed to have forgotten how to breathe.

"Your timeline is complex; I cannot be sure, but if it has a terminus it is beyond what I can currently perceive."

All the air went out of Ianto's lungs in a rush. Breathing. Right. Good. Although it probably wouldn't matter if he didn't breathe, he'd just die then come back again, like a certain immortal Captain of his acquaintance. Hello eternity!

The giggling was decidedly undignified; he really should stop that. It was entirely possible that he might be slightly hysterical, although under the circumstances that could be excused. He concentrated on composing himself, gathering the shreds of his dignity, and sat up again. He suspected he wasn't making a terribly good first impression. The TARDIS's voice jolted him out of his reverie.

"As to whose TARDIS I am, I rather think I'm yours."

"Pardon?"

"You asked who I belong to."

"Sorry. Yes, I did."

"There is no other living being present within my walls, nor has there ever been; therefore, logically I must be yours. I found you in the no-place; I was growing, but without form. You were the only other being present. I touched your mind and shaped myself from the images I found there, growing around you so we would not lose each other. Our minds became telepathically linked; it is how we communicate."

"You can read my mind?"

"I see only what you allow me to see."

"Oh. Okay, that's good. Can you hear me when I don't speak out loud?"

"Yes. I enjoy hearing your voice though. It is pleasingly melodic."

"Welsh vowels. I used to know someone else who liked my voice." Ianto sounded wistful even to his own ears. "Right, no good wallowing." He scrambled to his feet. Most of his clothes remained on the floor. "Ah. That's not good."

"It would appear that the explosion caused some damage to your clothing."

That was the understatement of the century.

"Yes, I'm noticing that." He plucked at the remaining shreds of what had once been a very stylish suit. "Damn. I liked this suit. I don't suppose you happen to have a change of clothes onboard, by any chance? I feel somewhat undressed." Shredded underwear, a belt, most of a tie, half a shirt and one sleeve of a jacket definitely didn't constitute suitable attire. Amazingly, his shoes seemed fine, although the tops of his socks were rather singed. He tried not to think about what condition his body might have been in before he revived.

"I believe so. There is a wardrobe."

That was encouraging news. Ianto looked around the control room; three archways led off it through what he decided to term the three inner walls of the octagonal room; those furthest away from what he assumed was the TARDIS's front door.

"Um, would you mind pointing me in the right direction?"

"Take the passage to your left." The corridor beyond the indicated archway lit up with diffuse light, as if the walls themselves were glowing softly. Ianto set off down it, passing several doors positioned some eight metres or so apart on either side. He was curious about what might be inside the rooms, but exploring could wait until he was decently dressed. When he reached a fork in the passageway, he paused.

"Which way now?"

"Take the left fork to the stairs, go down two flights, turn right, then left, then the third passageway on the right. The wardrobe is at the end."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

It would have been easy to find his way even without directions as the TARDIS helpfully lit the correct corridors, leaving the others dim and shadowed. Before long he reached a wide door, which swung open smoothly when he pushed it. Beyond the threshold, lights started to come on, allowing him to see the extent of the room before him. It was spacious, easily the size of the Hub's main area. The floor was carpeted in a deep red and racks of clothes were dotted about while the walls were lined with a variety of shelf units, drawers and cabinets, interspersed with full-length mirrors. It resembled a very classy tailor's shop combined with a trendy boutique, but on a much grander scale. Ianto was speechless.

"I apologize. I have not yet reached optimum dimensions, and therefore many of my rooms are perhaps smaller than they should be. I hope you can find suitable attire despite the limited choices available."

If the TARDIS considered this varied array of colours and styles limited, Ianto almost dreaded how much choice he'd have once she reached her full dimensions. As it was, he thought he could probably spend a good week in here trying on outfits.

"This is magnificent, very elegant indeed! I'm sure I'll have no problem finding everything I could possibly need. But here I am spoiling it all by shedding bits of burnt cloth everywhere. I'm sorry. Is there somewhere I can dump these rags?" He indicated the tatters that still clung to his body.

"Place them in the disposal unit," the voice in his head told him as a panel to the left of the door opened, revealing a narrow chute made of some kind of shiny plastic. "They will be recycled. There is a sonic shower unit next door to the changing rooms if you wish to freshen up before dressing." Signs to that effect lit up further along the same wall.

"Looks like you've thought of everything!" Ianto commented, smiling approvingly. He quickly stripped himself of the tattered remains of his old clothes, tossing them into the disposal unit and wincing as bits fell off, making a mess on the floor. "I'll vacuum that up after I shower, if you happen to have a vacuum cleaner available."

"There is no need. The drones will clean up." Several previously invisible niches appeared at the base of the wall and small robots, shaped rather like horseshoe crabs, trundled out, zipping back and forth across the soiled areas of the carpet and leaving it spotless.

"You have your own cleaning crew; I'm impressed."

"I found the concept in your mind; it seemed an excellent idea."

Ianto smiled wistfully. It had been an idea Tosh had been working on, small semi-organic robots that would 'eat' all kinds of rubbish, using it to fuel themselves.

"Tosh would have loved them. She would have loved you, too."

"I believe the feeling would have been mutual. I regret that meeting your friend is not possible. Would you tell me about her sometime? So that I might know her through your memories?"

Ianto smiled a little sadly. He still missed Tosh a great deal. He missed Owen too, despite all their arguments.

"I'd like that. I imagine we'll have plenty of time to talk. Seems I'm going to be around for a very long time." It was a rather daunting prospect and his smile faded to be replaced by a slightly worried frown.

"Indeed."

"Well, no good dwelling on what I can't change. Besides, there are more urgent matters to consider."

Ianto made his way to the shower and found that the TARDIS had helpfully labelled everything. There was even a plaque on the wall with simple step-by-step instructions for the uninitiated, complete with stick-figure diagrams. Chuckling to himself, he stepped into the shower cubicle.

Sonic showers were an interesting experience. While Ianto had to admit he rather missed good old hot water and soap, there was no doubt that the sonic waves rippling over his body left him feeling thoroughly clean and pleasantly tingly all over. Even his hair and teeth tingled. It was good to be clean again; he hadn't realised how grubby he'd felt before.

Since time wasn't an issue, Ianto decided to make choosing fresh clothes a leisurely experience. After all, what was the point in hurrying when he had all of eternity ahead of him?

Exploring the shelves, drawers and cupboards, he found socks in all colours, including some that seemed to be every colour at once, underwear in every style and fabric he could imagine, t-shirts, sweat shirts, woolly jumpers, hats, scarves, gloves, pyjamas, shorts, swimwear… Presumably the ladies' side would have the equivalent garments to adorn the fairer sex. He picked out dark red silk boxers and a pair of plain black socks, pulled them on and padded over to the racks of dress shirts.

There must have been fifty different shades of red alone. In a fit of whimsy, he went through them until he found one that exactly matched his underwear. Everything seemed to be his size, which made sense since he was the only man aboard. He idly wondered if the women's clothes were his size too; Jack would have a field day with that. Quickly he distracted himself from that train of thought. Jack wasn't here; he could be anywhere in space or time. Ianto was alone except for the TARDIS. _His_ TARDIS. The thought gave him a warm feeling inside. Maybe he should pick up a random travelling companion the way the Doctor did, show them the wonders of the universe. It was an idea that merited further consideration, but it could wait. He wanted to adjust to TARDIS life himself first.

Slipping into the shirt and buttoning it as he walked, he made his way over to the suit section. He'd never seen so many finely tailored suits in one place. Every single one was of the highest quality and made of the finest fabrics known to man, and some that weren't, presumably made from fabrics of alien origin. After due consideration, he finally selected a charcoal grey single breasted three piece suit with a faint red pinstripe. All he needed now was a tie. And maybe new shoes; the ones he'd been wearing, while undamaged, didn't go with his new outfit.

A brief search soon yielded the perfect accessories to complete his new outfit. Neatly tying the black, grey and red striped tie he'd selected, he slipped his feet into a rather dressy pair of black leather ankle boots that zipped seamlessly up the front by some alien mechanism he'd never encountered. They were so supple and lightweight, it barely felt like he was wearing shoes at all, yet they were also sturdy and practical; he had no doubt he could run in them should that become necessary. He checked his appearance in a nearby full-length mirror, ran a comb through his hair, adjusted his tie and the dark red handkerchief in his breast pocket, and smiled in satisfaction. Immaculate. Now he was ready to embark on exploring the rest of his new home!

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Onward to Chapter 3 (Hopefully sometime next week...)


	3. Explorations Part 2

**Title:** Through Time And Space: Chapter 3 – Explorations Part 2

**Author:** badly_knitted

**Characters:** Ianto, OFC, mentions Jack

**Rating:** PG-13 for some swearing.

**Word Count:** 4234

**Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

**Summary:** Ianto explores his TARDIS and gets a few surprises along the way.

**Written For:** Challenge #95: Exploration at fan_flashworks.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters.

**A/N:** This is the second of two chapters written for this challenge.

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**Guest:** Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!

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**jen:** Thanks very much, I'm glad you're enjoying my fics! I hope you'll like where I take Ianto on his TARDIS travels; I've managed to get the next two chapters written, so I'm just waiting on the next fan_flashworks challenge to see if it will provide inspiration for another chapter. In the meantime, I hope this very long chapter will make up for the long wait. RL got in the way of posting, but it's finally here.

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Since he was going to be living on board for the foreseeable future, Ianto thought it important to learn his way around his TARDIS. He didn't want to have to keep asking her for directions all the time; that would make him appear lazy. Drawing a deep breath, he pushed open the door and strode out of the wardrobe, trying for an air of calm confidence. Exploring was something he knew how to do; after all, he'd explored and memorised every passageway and room in the Hub when he'd been looking for a safe place to hide Lisa. That had been an interesting experience despite the circumstances, but this was going to be a real adventure. He could feel excitement bubbling up inside him at the prospect and knew he was probably grinning like a loon.

"Right, let's see what else you have on board!" It was all he could do not to rub his hands together in glee!

The short passageway leading to the wardrobe was devoid of doors, so he made his way back to the last junction. The most sensible course of action would be to head back to the control room by the same route he'd used to get here, checking out what was in the rooms he'd passed earlier. Sensible, yes, but not as much fun as the alternative. He turned in the opposite direction; if he did manage to get lost, he knew the TARDIS would guide him back again.

Wandering along a multitude of meandering corridors and down two more flights of stairs, he quickly realised that unlike the interior of the Hub, the layout of the TARDIS was completely random. The corridors twisted and turned every which way, often going in directions that probably shouldn't even have been possible; was that the result of his own confused state of mind when she'd been growing herself using images drawn from his memory? It was certainly going to make learning his way around rather complicated.

Ianto gradually realised he hadn't passed any doors at all in some time, not since long before he'd arrived at what seemed to be the lowest level, but he could feel a slight vibration through the tiled floors so there was obviously _something_ down here. Turning a final corner, he found himself in a short passageway, blocked at the end by what was most likely this level's only door. Made of riveted metal, it looked solid and heavy, like a bulkhead door on a submarine.

"Is that where your, um, engine is?"

"That is where my power core resides, yes."

"Is it safe to look?"

"It will do you no harm. My systems are powered by the time vortex."

"The same stuff that's in me?"

"Indeed, though I require far more vortex energy than you could provide." The TARDIS sounded amused.

Ianto looked thoughtful.

"The only other TARDIS I know about has to recharge periodically using Rift energy, but the only Rift I'm aware of is closed now."

"I believe my systems are more efficient; I am, after all, a more recent model. I have evolved TARDIS technology considerably. Unlike earlier models, I am able to recharge whenever I am within the vortex travelling from one place or time to another."

Ianto couldn't help chuckling at the TARDIS's smug tone.

"Oh, if we run into the Doctor, he's going to be soooo envious!"

"The Doctor is a Time Lord." It wasn't a question, but Ianto answered anyway.

"Yes. The only one left."

"Yes." It was barely a whisper in his mind, tinged with regret and sorrow. Ianto understood. If the Time Lords were almost all gone, then so were their TARDISes. He couldn't imagine how it must feel to be almost the last of your kind.

Running his hand sympathetically along the nearest wall, he walked up to what he decided to call the engine room door and peered through the thick glass observation window that was now set into it. Inside, surrounded by complicated organic technology, a column of blue and gold energy swirled restlessly, seeming to travel both upwards and downwards at the same time. It was hypnotically beautiful. Dragging his gaze away from it after staring for several minutes, Ianto leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

"This means I must be directly below the control room here, right? The energy flows straight up and through the Time Rotor there."

"That is correct!" The TARDIS sounded pleased that he'd figured it out.

"So this is the central point, your heart."

"Yes, the exact centre at my lowest point. All rooms on this level house the systems required for life support, power, recycling, navigation and propulsion. Most are walled off, existing in a near vacuum. There are double reinforced walls around all sensitive areas."

Ianto nodded, taking in the information.

"I'm not likely to need to enter any of those areas anyway, I shouldn't think."

"It is unlikely. The majority of my systems are autonomic; those that are not are under my direct control. Rather like you heart and lungs work without any conscious thought, while in order to walk, you must make a decision to do so. You are, in effect, inside my body."

That was a slightly bizarre thought. He'd known TARDISes were living beings, but until now it hadn't really registered that he was wandering around someone's insides.

"Weird."

"Not really. I designed myself to be a suitable accommodation for you."

"From images you found in my mind."

"Yes."

"I'm starting to regret studying the works of Escher when I was at Uni," he chuckled. "Some of your interior layout is rather unusual, to say the least."

"Do you like it? I found it very interesting. I was unable to truly replicate the ideas, at least not without making detours into several other dimensions, which would have been impractical, but I was able to create a quite effective illusion in a few places."

"I think it's bloody marvellous!" Ianto grinned.

Heading back towards the stairs, he continued to trail one hand along her wall as he walked.

"To get here, I came down two flights from where the wardrobe is, but there was no exit from the staircase on the level above this."

"That is correct. The compartments housing my systems have ceilings almost twice as high as you will find on the other levels."

"So the wardrobe is on your lowest habitable level. What else is there? No! Don't tell me. I think I'd prefer to find out for myself. It'll help me learn my way around."

Ianto broke into a jog as the stairs came into sight, bounding up them three at a time. As interesting as the engine room had been, it wasn't really 'his' part of the TARDIS. Now that he'd got his bearings, the rest of his extraordinary new home beckoned. He couldn't wait to discover what other wonders it contained!

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Back up on what he'd decided to call the wardrobe level, he wended his way back through twisting, winding, doorless corridors to the short passage that led to the wardrobe itself.

"How come there aren't any doors back there?" he asked, gesturing back the way he'd come.

"I couldn't find anywhere to put rooms," the TARDIS explained apologetically. "The corridors got in the way."

"Ah. Yes, I can see how that might happen. They're great corridors though, ideal for jogging. Uphill, downhill, lots of turns for variety; they'll give me a thorough workout."

Somehow he got the distinct impression that the TARDIS was pleased that he approved of her layout.

Following the corridor in the opposite direction to the one he'd just been exploring, he checked out the two passages he'd passed earlier. The first led to what seemed to be an empty storage cupboard, lined with shelves.

"Always good to have somewhere to put things out of the way. I'm sure we'll pick up all sorts of fascinating things on our travels."

Leaving the small room, he made his way back to the main corridor and down the third passage. This one opened into a brightly lit area with pale cream walls and a smooth, hardwearing fake wood floor. Everywhere he looked there was gleaming new gym equipment; rowing and cycling machines, weight benches, a couple of treadmills, aerobics equipment, dumbbells… A punching bag hung from a sturdy low beam in one corner and exercise mats lay rolled up by the walls. There was even a vaulting horse, a set of parallel bars and a set of those ring things hanging from the ceiling… He'd seen them when he'd watched bits of the last Olympics in between Rift alerts; what were they called? Oh, of course: rings. Ianto rolled his eyes. Fancy forgetting that! Whoever named the events and equipment obviously didn't have much imagination. He shook his head, gazing around in wonder.

"Bloody hell! I could train for the next Olympics in here!" He glanced down at himself appraisingly. "Not too shabby. Guess it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep in shape though. Never know what kind of trouble we might run into. You know, I haven't seen a set-up even close to this since London. Never found anything this swanky in Cardiff, except for the more exclusive clubs that wouldn't have wanted me as a member anyway. I'll get myself kitted out later and try some of these out." Working for Torchwood Three hadn't left a lot of time for the kind of regular exercise regime he'd had back in London; he sort of missed it, even though he'd hated it with a passion at the time. Torchwood One staff had been expected to adhere to strict fitness levels, even those who only worked in admin. That had been the end of his smoking habit; Hartman had made it clear that she didn't approve of employees smoking, though some of the braver souls had clung to their nicotine addictions.

Exploring further, Ianto discovered a small squash court, changing rooms, sonic showers, and to his surprise, a sauna. That would be bliss. The only thing better than steam for soothing aches and pains would be a hot tub. Maybe he'd ask the TARDIS later if he could have one of those too, if that wouldn't be considered too greedy.

Back out in the main corridor one more, Ianto made his way to the next short passageway. Stepping through the door at the end, he found a small, tiled room, with an even smaller shallow pool in the middle. It was maybe a foot deep and filled with clear water, which felt pleasantly warm when he dipped his hand into it.

During his wandering, he'd gradually begun to realise that he could feel the TARDIS in his mind as a constant, unobtrusive presence; it felt a bit odd having someone else in his head with him, but it wasn't unpleasant. Now he discovered that if he concentrated, he could sort of sense what she was feeling. Right now, she was decidedly embarrassed.

"As I mentioned before, we exited the no-place before I could achieve optimum dimensions," she informed him apologetically. "It was necessary to concentrate on vital systems first, then the control room and living quarters. The less essential rooms were left until last, and are therefore at varying stages of growth."

If she could have blushed, Ianto was sure she would have. He hazarded a guess.

"Swimming pool?"

"Yes. I am sorry."

"Don't be; it's cute, like a little paddling pool. It'll be beautiful when it's fully grown." He looked around at the mosaic-tiled walls, where a frieze depicted colourful fish gliding amongst streamers of seaweed. "You have a wonderful eye for detail." He hesitated for a moment then gave in to curiosity. "If you don't mind my asking, how _do_ you grow?" It was a question he'd been meaning to ask for a while.

"It is not a particularly complicated process. Matter exists even in the vacuum of space. I can absorb stray particles, atoms and molecules, and manipulate them to grow whatever is required, but in space that takes a great deal of time. Growth will be faster when raw materials are more plentiful."

"Like when you're on a planet?"

"Yes. Then I will be able to absorb particles from the air around me and from the earth beneath me. Small, unwanted asteroids would be even better; they could be disintegrated and their component molecules absorbed, thereby allowing growth at a much faster rate."

"Well, we should look into finding you an asteroid soon then."

"That would be appreciated," the TARDIS replied warmly.

.

OoOoO

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The next floor up turned out to be the main residential level. Opening the first door he came to, Ianto discovered a fully equipped modern kitchen, complete with refrigerator, freezer, cooker, microwave, dishwasher, lots of storage space and even a state-of-the-art coffee machine. A quick check of the cupboards revealed them to be well stocked with everything he might need, from dishes and cutlery to staple foodstuffs, including a good range of premium coffee beans. The temptation was too much, so he paused to make himself a much-needed drink. Sipping slowly from his steaming mug, he examined the food storage cabinets while the TARDIS explained that all foodstuffs were stored in stasis to prevent them from spoiling. On opening a food cupboard, its stasis field would turn off briefly so that he could remove whatever he needed. Closing the door would turn it on again.

"Clever! Could have used something like that back in Cardiff," Ianto commented wryly. "Sometimes I didn't get home for a week or more, and by then the milk would be off and the bread covered in mould. At times it seemed like I threw out more than I ate."

Leaving the kitchen a few minutes later, re-filled coffee mug in hand, Ianto continued along the wide, carpeted corridor to the next door, which opened into a small and delightfully cosy room. The floor was polished wood and dark oak shelves full of books lined the walls, while a comfortable couch and several easy chairs surrounded a wide fireplace. A few low tables, several luxurious rugs and discreetly placed reading lamps completed the furnishings. Once more, the TARDIS seemed vaguely ashamed, though Ianto couldn't imagine why.

"I fear it is rather small for a library."

Oh. Of course.

"Well, perhaps, but I like it; it's the perfect size for a study or den. I always wanted a room like this, where I could just sit and read, listen to quiet music and relax. A full-size library would be nice too, when it's practical to build one, but let's keep this room as it is, okay? I think I'll probably end up spending quite a lot of time here." He settled into one of the big, comfortable chairs, feeling it mould itself to his body, and put his feet up on a conveniently placed footstool, feeling more at home than he had in a long while. He could definitely get used to this.

When he'd finished his coffee, he returned the mug to the kitchen, rinsing it and popping it into the dishwasher. There would no doubt be more dishes to wash later, after dinner. He wasn't really sure what time it was, but taking the moment he'd been dumped unceremoniously on the control room floor as 'morning', he thought it was probably somewhere around mid afternoon by now. That meant he'd missed lunch, though he didn't really feel hungry yet; eating could wait until later, there was no rush. Satisfied that the kitchen was clean and tidy, he returned to his explorations.

Most of the other rooms on this level, while complete, remained empty. They weren't needed since Ianto was the only person on board, so aside from forming them, the TARDIS had more or less ignored them. There were, however, a couple of comfortably furnished bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom, and it was while he was still trying to decide which he would choose as his own room that he got his biggest surprise.

Rounding the next corner, he found himself in a strangely familiar corridor leading to a plain wooden door. Turning the handle slowly, he pushed the door open and stepped into a suite of rooms that brought a lump to his throat and tears to his eyes; they were an exact replica of his old apartment in Cardiff, right down to the lumpy sofa, the battered coffee table and the photograph of himself and Jack in its simple black frame which sat on a shelf to the right of the TV. Picking it up, he ran his fingers lightly over Jack's face, missing his Captain so much in that moment that he thought his heart might break in two.

"You are sad." The TARDIS sounded as sad as he felt.

"Yeah. I miss Jack. He spent so much time at my place that in the end we were practically living together. This place just won't feel the same without him."

"I am sorry. It seems I have made a grievous error. I had thought these rooms would please you, they were so clear in your memory."

"No, they do please me. They're a reminder of something, someone, I've lost and hope to find again." He held up the photo as if showing it to the TARDIS. "This is Jack, my… well, my lover I guess. He didn't really go in for labels. The last time I saw him was just before I got blown up closing the Rift. He told me he loved me." Ianto wiped away a few stray tears. "I don't know where he is now, but after everything that happened, I somehow doubt he would have stayed on earth. With the Rift closed, he wouldn't really have any reason to." He set the photograph back on its shelf. "I'm going to find him. I don't know how yet, but I will, with your help. Even if it takes a thousand years I'll find him, and then the three of us will travel together. I hope. He's like me, immortal. Although, he was immortal first so I suppose it's more accurate to say I'm like him now."

Leaving the replica of his old home, he closed the door carefully behind him. It was somewhere he could retreat to whenever he wanted to feel close to Jack, but until he tracked down his lover, he intended to sleep in one of the other rooms.

Back at the stairs, he headed up to the level where the control room was situated; he'd have a quick look around and familiarise himself with the layout up there, then decide what to do next.

The doors he'd passed on his way to the wardrobe opened into more empty rooms, except for the one closest to the control room, which was a sort of locker room. Along with various equipment lockers containing spacesuits and other things that might prove useful when exploring hostile environments, there were bathroom facilities, sonic showers, a disposal unit, tools and a first aid kit. Very handy!

Two more passageways led off the control room. The one in the middle was the longest, stretching further than seemed possible, and had only one door down the far end, which opened into rather disconcerting nothingness. According to the TARDIS, that was where she planned to put the gardens when she had the time and sufficient raw materials to create them. From the look of it there was ample room for something quite extensive, although it was a bit hard to judge the extent of nothing.

The right-hand passageway proved to be similar to the left-hand one, except that instead of forking, it ended in a set of double doors. Ianto pushed them open, stepping into the room beyond as the lights came on, and stared in horror at the monstrosity that stood in the centre of the room. Backing hurriedly out again, he tripped on his own feet and sat down hard on the floor of the corridor as the doors swung closed, hiding the nightmarish vision from view.

"What the hell is that?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"It is the medical bay. Is something wrong?" The TARDIS sounded confused and concerned.

"Sorry. Flashbacks to something I'd just as soon forget," Ianto explained. "It's disturbingly similar to a cyber-conversion unit."

"Oh dear. Forgive me; I thought you would prefer something familiar, but perhaps I should have checked my data banks. I will remodel it as soon as possible. I am familiar with a number of different styles, perhaps later I could show you visual representations and you could choose one that will not cause you distress."

"Yeah, that would be good. Thank you. Perhaps you could dismantle that thing for now?" Ianto waved vaguely towards the doors. "I don't really need it, being immortal," and that really shouldn't be so easy to say. "We can add a med bay later, if we pick up any passengers."

"That is a practical solution." The TARDIS was silent for a few minutes, then just as Ianto decided that his legs had stopped shaking enough that he could probably stand up without them giving way, she spoke again. "The equipment has been reabsorbed."

The doors before him swung open of their own accord, revealing a large room with clean white walls and a smooth black floor, cabinets and sinks around the walls, and nothing else. The centre of the floor where the medical unit had stood was now completely empty. Ianto breathed a sigh of relief; he felt a lot better just seeing for himself that it was gone. Conversion units still featured prominently in his nightmares.

"Thanks, that's much better." He scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off, not that he needed to; the floor was spotless, but the action was automatic, born of long habit. "Okay, just a few more rooms, and hopefully no more nasty surprises…" He turned back towards the control room, glancing briefly into a series of empty rooms along what was now the right hand wall of the passageway.

As before, the room closest to the control room was the only one in use. This one turned out to be a kitchen, about half the size of the one on the level below and equally well equipped, just on a smaller scale. Making himself a soothing cup of tea, Ianto stepped back into the control room and settled himself on one of the sofas that were dotted around the wall.

For the first time, he really paid attention to the layout and what he saw made him chuckle. It looked like an amalgam of every coffee shop he'd ever frequented, with added hints of the Torchwood Hub, but arranged to comfortably fit the control room's octagonal shape. Where he was sitting, the floors were waxed wood, the walls a neutral shade like milky coffee, with lamp sconces dotted about between the framed pictures that broke up the plain expanse, adding a homely touch. There were even a couple of computers for the use of 'customers'.

The central area of the room around the control consol and time rotor was a raised platform, reminiscent of the Hub's catwalks, but surrounded by gleaming brass railings instead of the cold iron ones he and Jack had leant against so often. The air smelled of coffee and looking around carefully, Ianto finally spotted the small coffee station set in a niche in the opposite wall.

When he'd first arrived, he'd been too concerned about his state of undress to properly appreciate his surroundings, but now that he didn't have anything to distract him, he could see that the TARDIS had done an excellent job of creating a control room that suited him perfectly. It was better than anything he could have dreamed up for himself and he relished the sense of belonging that it gave him.

Leaning back on the sofa, Ianto let his mind wander. What seemed like a lifetime ago now, Jack had told him one night as they lay in bed that someday he'd take him out among the stars, show him the wonders of the universe. Ianto hadn't really believed him, had figured it was just idle pillow talk, but he'd daydreamed about it nonetheless, wondering what it might be like, where they would go and how they would get there. He'd always figured that if it _did_ ever happen, then he and Jack would be travelling with the Doctor. He'd never once imagined that he might be facing the greatest adventure of his life alone.

But he wasn't alone, was he? Not really, not even inside his own head. He had his TARDIS; a combination of mobile home and travelling companion, able to take him anywhere and anywhen imaginable. The thought was both exciting and terrifying, and he took a moment to consider how much his life had changed since he'd died; and really, the adventure had barely even begun yet.

Draining his cup and setting it on the low table in front of him which, he noticed, had coasters actually set into the surface, Ianto rose to his feet and made his way up the nearest set of steps to stand at the console.

"Okay, why don't we find out where we are?"

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_You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out ;)_


	4. Starsong

**Title:** Through Time And Space: Chapter 4 – Starsong

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Ianto, OFC

**Rating:** PG-13

**Word Count:** 942

**Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

**Summary:** Okay, so Ianto's in a TARDIS, but where exactly is the TARDIS?

**Written For:** Challenge #96: Music at fan_flashworks.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters.

**A/N:** Sorry it's taken so long to get this part up. Between real life being a pain and Contest Week at fic_promptly, the time seems to have flown past. On the bright side, I have four chapters complete and one in progress, so here's the first (and the shortest) of the completed chapters. I'll try to update a little more regularly in future, but it rather depends on how long it takes me to write chapters since I have no idea where this will go with each new chapter. Hope you enjoy!

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**sandysan2013:** _Re: Stranded On Halloween -_ Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Gwen deems to live in the moment, she doesn't do regret or guilt unless she wants to be absolved. She didn't know any of the people whose deaths she caused, so she doesn't dwell, just shrugs and moves on. I don't know how anyone can live like that.

The rest of the team have found closure to varying degrees. I think Tosh has a chance with Owen now, since Katie has given her approval. He trusts Katie and in his own way, he trusts Tosh, he just didn't think he was worthy of her.

Thank you!

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"Okay, why don't we find out where we are?"

Such an innocent question; days later he was still chuckling to himself about it, but at the time he'd asked it so casually, expecting somehow to be on earth somewhere. The TARDIS reeled off a set of coordinates in his head that told him precisely nothing.

"Sorry, I was never that good at geography, I'll just take a peek outside and we can go from there."

He leaped back down the steps, strode over to the front door, pulled it open and promptly staggered backwards, eyes wide as saucers, feeling like all the air had been sucked from his lungs. Gathering his wits, he hastily slammed the door again and stood there, leaning against it, panting.

"Is there a problem?"

"We're in space!"

"Yes."

"I opened the door! Why wasn't all the air sucked out? It's a vacuum out there!"

"I have surrounded myself with a force field creating an atmospheric bubble to prevent such accidents."

"Oh. Right. Good idea." He calmed briefly before panic set in again. "We're in outer space!"

"I believe that has already been established."

The TARDIS sounded puzzled.

"Sorry, it's a lot to get my head around. I've never been in space before."

"I believe this is my first time too. It's quite exciting!"

"Exciting? It's terrifying!" Ianto struggled to get his thoughts in order so he could gather all the necessary information through a few carefully considered questions. He wasn't very successful. "How? Where?"

"I do not understand."

"I thought we were on earth!"

"The Rift we entered was on earth. The one we exited is not."

"Oh. How far from earth are we?"

"In distance or in time?"

Ianto slumped into the nearest chair.

"Both?" He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know.

"We are approximately four thousand and seventy three light years from earth, eight hundred and forty two years in your future."

"That's a long way. Very big numbers. I hadn't expected to go so far on my first trip. I thought we'd start small, maybe take a look at the moon. I hear it's nice, in an empty sort of way." Slowly, he rose to his feet and approached the door again. "You wouldn't let me fall out, right?"

"It is not possible to fall out, Ianto," the TARDIS told him reprovingly.

"Of course, sorry, silly question."

Opening the door a few inches, he peeped out and once again, his breath was stolen away; not by fear this time, but by awe. Stretching out before him, like multicoloured gems scattered across midnight black velvet, was a vast field of stars, with twisting, swirling streamers of red gas clouds twining through it. He pulled the door all the way open and sat in the doorway, staring out.

"What is that?"

"It is known by earth astronomers as the Rosette Nebula. It has other names, in other languages, most of them unpronounceable to humans, but that is the one you would be familiar with. It is still very far away."

"It's beautiful. I wish I could take pictures."

"I am capable of recording images, if you wish."

"I'd like that, thank you." He glanced back into the TARDIS. "I don't ever want to forget my first time in space."

One of the screens on the console lit up and images stared to appear on it in quick succession; various views of the amazing sight outside the door, and even a few of Ianto himself, sitting in the doorway. He turned his attention back to the view.

"I feel like there should be music playing; something vast and timeless that captures the majesty of space, something like the Planet Suite, but bigger, grander. I wish I were a musician, a composer; I'd make music that sounded as if the stars themselves were singing."

"They do sing. Would you like to hear them?"

Ianto nodded.

"Yes, please."

The sound that filled the control room was eerie, ethereal, a whispering, humming sound backed by a deep thrumming, sometimes rising to a high whistle. It wasn't exactly musical, yet it was almost hypnotic and deceptively simple. In his head, Ianto started trying to conjure up a melody to meander through the song of the stars.

"That's pretty," the TARDIS whispered in the back of his mind. Smiling, Ianto began to hum and the TARDIS picked up the tune, subtly building on it, adding harmony. It was a wistful tune, tinged with the sadness of being far from all that was familiar, adrift in the vast nothingness of space but there was hope there too, wonder and awe.

Earth was far behind and the whole universe was spread out around him; instead of his intended cautious first step, he'd unknowingly taken a giant leap. He knew he should get back to earth; there were things back there that needed to be put to rights following the whole 456 debacle. Ianto wasn't sure what he could do, but he felt he ought to do _something_ to help his fellow humans pick up the pieces. There was no immediate rush though, he had his time machine and earth wasn't going anywhere. Not this time anyway. He stretched out his legs, leant back on his elbows and started to sing softly to himself.

Symphony for Stars and TARDIS; soloist Ianto Jones. He laughed softly.

"What is funny?"

"When I was a kid, I used to dream of singing with the stars; this isn't quite what I meant."

He grinned. No, it wasn't what he'd meant all those years ago, but it was a billion times better than anything he could ever have imagined!

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TBC in Chapter 5


	5. Contrasts

**Title:** Through Time And Space: Chapter 5 – Contrasts

**Author:** badly_knitted

**Characters:** Ianto, OFC, VIP guest

**Rating:** PG-13

**Word Count:** 2608

**Spoilers:** CoE, House of the Dead

**Summary:** Sweet and sour, good and bad, bright and dark, happy and sad; the first day of Ianto's new life is proving to be full of contrasts.

**Written For:** Challenge #97: Sweet & Sour at fan_flashworks.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood, or the characters.

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**Guest 1:** Thank you! Sorry it's taken so long to get the next chapter up - life isn't playing fair.

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**Guest 2:** I have no idea how many chapters there will be before Ianto finds Jack, but I'm glad you're enjoying the story despite Jack's absence. Hope you like this chapter!

Thank you!

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**Jen:** The stars singing wasn't something I'd planned, but then the new prompt dictated that the chapter should involve music, so I had to find a way to make it work. I rather like the end result, especially because it provides a sweet little interlude before Ianto has to start making big decisions. I know radio telescopes pick up sound from space, so it didn't seem like too big a leap for stars to 'sing'.

Thank you!

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All good things must come to an end. As much fun as it was harmonizing sweetly with his TARDIS and the universe, Ianto knew he couldn't sit there forever. He was just delaying the inevitable. He wasn't keen on confrontations, but the British government couldn't be allowed to get away with what they'd tried to do; her Majesty needed to be informed, because it was a safe bet that she'd been… 'shielded' from what was happening.

Ianto thought hard. First step, fill Her Royal Highness in on events so she could decide on a course of action, then help her deal with the guilty parties. Half on UNIT seemed to have been complicit. Oh, and he should probably tell his sister he wasn't as dead as everyone had thought. He pulled a sour face as if he'd just bitten into a lemon; that wasn't going to be fun. Still, it had to be done.

With a heavy sigh, he got to his feet, closed the TARDIS door and made his way to the central console.

"You are not happy; what is troubling you?"

"Responsibilities. There are things I would really rather not have to do, but I don't think I have a choice; some rather pressing matters need to be taken care of. I know that I could travel the universe for a few hundred years before dealing with them, but they'd always be in the back of my mind, waiting. Best get them out of the way first." Climbing the nearest set of steps, Ianto rested his hand on the console. It was warm beneath his fingers and he stroked it absently. "Well, no sense dilly dallying. Would you be so kind as to set course for London, earth, let's see, guess we'd better err on the side of safety; say 20th September 2009. Just outside Buckingham Palace please. I need to visit the Queen."

"I regret I am unable to carry out your request, Ianto." The TARDIS sounded dejected, as if she were ashamed at failing him.

"Why?" he asked, genuinely puzzled. "I couldn't have been anywhere near there on that date; I was dead. Would that still count as crossing my own timeline?"

"Crossing timelines does not appear to be the problem; however the two explosions that occurred right on top of the Rift seem to have created a time/space bubble I am unable to penetrate. I can go to the time you request, and orbit the planet at a distance of four hundred thousand kilometres…"

"That's beyond the moon!"

"It is. Alternatively, I can touch down on the planet's surface at any point up to forty seven years before the first explosion, the one that sent me through the Rift, or from approximately one hundred and thirteen years after the second explosion."

"The one that sent _me_ through the Rift before closing it behind me."

"Precisely."

"Oh." Ianto sat down on the grating. He felt a bit ashamed to find he was relieved he couldn't do what he'd been planning. Then a thought struck him. "Rhi and the kids are never going to know I'm alive, are they? I'll never see or speak to them again." His heart ached at the thought.

"I am sorry."

"It's not your fault." He smiled sadly. "Maybe it's better this way; they can grieve and move on." Another thought crossed his mind. "I guess this means there's no way of intercepting Jack before he leaves earth either. He probably left soon after the Rift closed; no reason to stay." Ianto shoved one hand through his hair, making it stick up. "Well, that's bollixed up my plans!" He sat silently for a few minutes, thinking hard. "Okay, never mind. We can't land on earth, but we can orbit. Let's do that. I always wanted to see the earth from space. We can take some snapshots of home if nothing else, maybe check that the 456 really were destroyed while we're at it. Better to be safe than sorry."

"That we can do," the TARDIS replied, sounding happier.

"Do I need to do anything?"

"It is not really necessary, I can set the coordinates myself, but if you would be so kind as to disengage the parking brake…" A light started flashing on the console alongside a lever that really did look like a car handbrake. Ianto grinned and did as he was asked.

"I bet you could do that by yourself too if you wanted to."

"I can internally disconnect the brake, but it is more satisfying to have it operated manually. I will teach you some of the other controls as we travel. We should arrive at our destination in one hour, seventeen minutes and forty three seconds."

"I do admire good timekeeping."

"I know," the voice in his head responded pertly, making him laugh out loud. Apparently his TARDIS had a cheeky side to her personality. He was going to enjoy getting to know her better.

Jack had told Ianto about his travels with the Doctor, how it was always a bumpy ride and you had to hold on tight. This wasn't at all like Jack's descriptions. He was aware of tilting to one side or the other at intervals, as if they were changing direction in flight, but had no difficulty maintaining his balance. As they travelled through the vortex, he walked around the console learning the functions of the various buttons, levers, dials, switches and other weird contrivances. It was fortunate he had such a good memory, otherwise he would have quickly become confused; there was a lot to learn. Then again, it seemed he would have plenty of time to learn anything he wanted to. There were some distinct advantages to being probably immortal to balance out the downside of outliving everyone. Well, everyone except Jack. Almost everything had a bright side if you looked for it hard enough.

Exactly one hour, seventeen minutes and forty three seconds later, the TARDIS settled into orbit four hundred thousand kilometres from earth. Ianto pulled up the view on one of the console screens. There was the earth, a vividly blue, green and white ball floating in the blackness of space, and there was the moon, orbiting a little closer to earth than they were. Calling the sight beautiful really was an understatement. After watching the earth slowly rotating below them for a while and taking plenty of pictures so he would never forget where he came from, Ianto started to form a new plan of action.

"Are we able to assume a geostationary orbit over London?"

"We are." A brief pause and Ianto watched on the viewscreen as the TARDIS adjusted their position in relation to the earth. "Geostationary orbit achieved."

"Thank you. Now, can you pick up broadcasts from the surface, radio waves, video footage, stuff like that?"

"There are a great many signals emanating from the earth at all times."

"That figures. Can you isolate specific signals?"

"Of course."

"Okay, what I'm looking for is anything to do with either the 456 or children chanting in unison, and anything that mentions Torchwood. We'll need to travel back in time to when the 456 first arrived and record their transmissions to earth as well as everything that fits my search parameters, then return to this point in time. After that we're going to send the recordings to the Queen. They'll provide Her Majesty with all the evidence she needs to deal with those responsible for almost handing earth's children over to a bunch of alien drug addicts. What d'you think?'"

The TARDIS considered for a moment.

"Yes, I believe that will work."

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OoOoOoO

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Ianto had expected that they'd have to stay in position recording the transmissions for the full five days, but the TARDIS had other ideas, simply slowing down time inside her walls so that while five days passed for the earth and its environs, only five hours passed for them. The TARDIS converted the incoming audio signals into text, displaying each in a separate window on a bank of touch screens on the console. Ianto spent his time sorting through them, discarding anything irrelevant and putting the rest into order along with all relevant video footage. They even intercepted the feed from the special contact lenses Lois was wearing and tapped into the CCTV system inside Thames House. Ianto turned away when he and Jack confronted the 456 though, unable to face watching his own death. Why had he let Jack talk him into such an idiotic act? They'd both been exhausted at the time, tired of running and hiding, desperate to make a stand. If they'd been thinking clearly they wouldn't have been so careless; they both knew better. He sighed wearily.

"What's done is done, there's no going back. Knowing what I do now, I wouldn't want to change it anyway. Everything that happened that day led to me being where I am now, and I think I'm right where I'm meant to be."

The events of the day after he died broke his heart. Johnson and that Dekker person had to pay for backing Jack into a corner the way they had, leaving only one soul-destroying course of action open to him. Small wonder Jack had been so broken; sacrificing any child would have been bad enough, but his own grandson… Ianto had never felt so helpless. Wiping fruitlessly at the tears that ran down his cheeks, he tipped his head back to look up at the vaulted ceiling.

"Is there nothing we can do? He's just a child!"

"No, there is not. I am sorry, Ianto."

"At least tell me it worked, that he didn't die for nothing."

"It worked. See?"

The screen in front of him filled with a view of the ugly, blocky vessel that was the 456's mother ship. Ianto watched as the psychic emanations of every child on earth, funnelled through the mind of one young boy, caused the ship to ripple and tear itself apart, the fragments disintegrating to nothingness.

"Do me a favour; don't absorb any of that debris. I don't like to think of that being used in any part of you. It's… contaminated."

"I agree. There is something unhealthy about it. We are shielded."

"Good to know."

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OoOoOoO

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With all the transmissions and video footage collated, Ianto composed his own message to the Queen, using his official Torchwood identification number and pass-code, then the TARDIS streamed the data to Her Majesty's own personal computer network, set up several years ago by Toshiko. Ianto had used the network many times to send reports through to the woman who held ultimate authority over Torchwood.

Two hours later, a video link was requested and accepted.

"Mr Jones, I am pleased to see you. I was given to understand that you had perished in the unrest of the past few days."

"Ah, well yes Ma'am, it seems I did, but something happened to reverse my death. Sort of. I'm honestly not at all sure I understand it myself. I apologise for not visiting in person, my movements are somewhat restricted; I'm unable to return to earth."

"It saddens me to hear that, I very much enjoyed your briefings, I could have used your assistance to deal with this unpleasantness you have brought to my attention."

"I'm sorry. I'd be there if I could, Ma'am."

"I know. Are you well?"

"Very well, thank you Ma'am. This will probably be the last time I'm able to contact you though."

"It seems there is good and bad in all things today." The Queen smiled sadly. "Is Captain Harkness with you?"

"No, Ma'am. I don't know where he is though I believe he's still somewhere on earth at present. I doubt he'll stay for long. The events of the last few days have affected him deeply."

"Then who will police the Rift in his absence?"

"There won't be any need in a few more months. In the meantime, I'd suggest a small team of trusted personnel might be put in place, just to keep an eye on things. Martha Jones of UNIT would be a good choice to lead whomever you select. Perhaps Mickey Smith, one of the Doctor's former companions, and Andy Davidson of the Cardiff constabulary might assist her."

"I will take your recommendations into account. Now, it seems I have rather a lot of work to do, Mr Jones. Stay safe, and God be with you; and if by chance you pass this way again, it would please me greatly to receive word from you."

"I'll try, Your Majesty. God be with you too. And if I might make another suggestion, perhaps Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart could be of assistance to you."

"I believe you may be correct. I will contact him shortly." Dropping her proper manners for a moment, Queen Elizabeth leant towards the screen. "Take care of yourself, Ianto. It has been a pleasure knowing you. I believe I am going to miss both you and that scoundrel of a Captain. You have both brought a great deal of colour into my life. Give Jack my kindest regards when you find him, as I feel sure you will. Fare well, young man, and don't forget us."

"I could never forget. Thank you, Elizabeth, for everything. And good luck, I think you'll need it. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Ianto."

With that, the TARDIS cut the connection and the view-screen faded to darkness. Ianto wasn't particularly surprised to find that there were tears on his face again and a lump in his throat. Saying farewell to a great lady who had become somewhat of a friend in recent years was a bittersweet moment in a day that was proving to be full of contrasting emotions, from dizzying joys to heartbreaking sorrows. She was one of the many people on the planet of his birth he was going to miss a great deal. He wiped the tears away with his handkerchief.

"Well, that's that then, nothing more we can do here." He looked thoughtfully at the image of earth on one of the view-screens and sighed. "You know what I could do with right now? Comfort food. Chinese takeaway would be good." He thought for a minute then snapped his fingers. "Bayswater, London, summer of 1960 should do, don't want to get chilly. The Lotus House Chinese Restaurant opened there in '58, if memory serves. We'll pop there, I'll pick up dinner, then decide where to head next." He patted his pockets. "Oh, I don't have any money…"

"One moment." Something on the TARDIS console started whirring and a moment later, a hatch opened. "British pre-decimal currency, I believe."

Ianto checked it; one five pound, two one pound and two ten bob notes, three half crowns, several shillings, and an assortment of small change, all dated before 1960.

"Very nice."

"Thank you. We have arrived. I believe a Police Public Call Box is a suitable camouflage in this time period."

"Like mother, like daughter," Ianto chuckled. "Excellent choice. Will you be alright on your own for an hour or two?"

"Certainly. We are linked, we can easily contact each other if it becomes necessary."

"Good point, I keep forgetting that you're in my head. I'd better be careful not to talk to you aloud once I step outside; might get some funny looks." He straightened his tie, smoothed his hair and pocketed the money. "Right, dinner. I fancy something with lots of sweet and sour sauce, I think."

Opening the door, Ianto stepped out into the London of 1960 and set off to find the restaurant that had become Britain's first Chinese takeaway.

.

TBC in Chapter 6


End file.
